World Council of Churches Condemns Anti-semitism; Issues Call to Combat It

A vigorous call to Christian churches to denounce anti-Semitism “as a sin against God and man” was made today to the assembly of the World Council of Churches in the report of a special committee that has been studying the Christian approach to Jews.

In the past, the report said, the churches “have helped to foster an image of the Jews as the sole enemies of Christ, which has contributed to anti-Semitism in the secular world.” Declaring that no people in the world has suffered more bitterly than the Jews, the report stated: “We must acknowledge that too often we have failed to manifest Christian love towards out Jewish neighbors or even a resolute will for common social justice. We cell upon all the churches we represent to denounce anti-Semitism, no matter what its origin, as absolutely irreconcilable with the profession and practice of the Christian faith. Anti-Semitism is a sin against God and man.”

Referring to the emergence of the Jewish state, the report declared: “Whatever position may be taken towards the establishment of a Jewish state and towards the ?ights and wrongs of Jews and Arabs, of Hebrew Christians and Arab Christians involved, the churches are in duty bound to pray and work for an order in Palestine is Just as may be in the midst of our human disorder, to provide within their power for the relief of the victims of this warfare without discrimination, and to seek to influence the nations to provide a refuge for displaced persons far more generously than has yet been done.”